Plenty of noisy frogs to be heard and seen at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Rosemary Allen, Citizen Contributor

2:03 PM, Jul 27, 2010

Grunt, whank-whank, squeak and peep.

Walk onto the boardwalk and you will probably hear the familiar sound of pigs grunting. The loud guttural voice is not a pig at all but a pig frog and if you look closely you can see them in the water or on submerged plants. They are breeding through the summer and can often be heard at the lettuce lakes.

Besides the pig frogs there are also leopard frogs at the water's edge on the ground or perched on logs. Their low pitched call sounds like a finger rubbing across a balloon. Among the tree frogs is the nasal whank-whank of the green tree frog which can often be seen on the stems of the alligator flag or pickerel weed near the boardwalk and the wet squeaky shoe voice of the invasive Cuban treefrog is often spotted on the branches of trees.

In the drier areas near the pines look on the fallen twigs and leaves for the oak toad and listen for their peep. Children appreciate the opportunity to find these amphibians because most can be found at or below their eye level but adults have been known to spot them as well.

Besides the calls that I have mentioned, some frogs also have an alarm call and a separate rain call. Be prepared for a symphony of sorts if you are on the boardwalk when rain is approaching. All of the frogs join in together and create a memorable musical ensemble.

For a complete listing and description of frogs and toads found at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, visit our website at www.corkscrewswamp.org.

The boardwalk is open between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Gates close at 7:30 p.m.